Our Anniversary Ends with an End

Chapter 1

I still remember that day, the sixth anniversary of the day I said yes to my boyfriend. I'd hoped for something simple, meaningful, a quiet dinner, maybe a thoughtful gift. But clearly, Yohann had something else in mind.

True to his thrill-seeker nature, he thought bungee jumping off a towering cliff with his childhood friend was the perfect way to celebrate. There was just one problem, I'm terrified of heights.

While I stood there, caught in my thoughts, trying to gather the courage to even look over the edge, he gave me a sudden push.

I plummeted.

Air rushed past me, my scream swallowed by the wind. For a second, I genuinely thought I was going to die.

The next thing I remember was waking up groggy in a hospital bed, my body sore, my mind a blur. I reached for my phone, desperate for some kind of comfort. But instead of finding a message from Yohann, I opened his social media by accident, and what I saw made my stomach drop.

There he was. Sitting at a candlelit table across from Zandria, his childhood friend. A bouquet of red roses between them. The caption read:

"I've always admired brave girls. I hope you ride the waves and move forward fearlessly for the rest of your life."

And in that instant, it all made sense.

I'd never been enough for him. Not timid, not hesitant, not scared-of-heights me. He wanted someone who could keep up with his wild, impulsive life, and that girl wasn't me.

So I left. Quietly. No goodbyes, no explanations. I knew I deserved better than being treated like an afterthought.

What I didn't expect was what happened next.

Yohann, the man who was always so composed, so self-assured, completely fell apart. He searched for me everywhere, calling mutual friends, even showing up at my apartment. But I was gone.

During those two days in the hospital, I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back on that cliff, falling, gasping, suffocating in silence. But the worst part wasn't the dreams. It was waking up to an empty room. No one waiting. No one checking in. I was completely, heartbreakingly alone.

Lying there, staring at the ceiling, I finally reached for my phone again. The last text Yohann and I exchanged was from the day of the jump. I kept replaying how easily he ignored my fear, how he strapped me in without my consent and shoved me off that ledge.

My chest ached with the memory.

Without thinking, I opened his profile again. Another new post.

This time, it was Zandria, smiling with her hand covering part of her face, a fresh bouquet of red roses in her lap. She looked so happy.

That's when I remembered something else. Yohann had promised that if I overcame my fear and made the jump, he'd be waiting at the bottom with flowers.

"Brave girls are the most commendable, Ysha. I believe in you," he'd said.

But I hadn't wanted to jump. Not at all. The very idea made my stomach twist. And yet, at the edge, when I started to panic, Yohann had softened his voice.

"It's okay," he'd said. "I'll jump with Zandria. You can watch from the side. How's that?"

I believed him.

But then, without warning, he took the ropes from the instructor and started fastening them to me. I begged him to stop, my voice shaking, my hands trembling, but he ignored me.

And then he pushed me.

As I fell, I heard Zandria's voice, distant but clear.

"Yohann, what if Ysha gets mad at you for this?"

He laughed.

"She won't. She loves me too much to stay mad."

Now, staring at that photo of Zandria with the roses, I felt like a fool. I had twisted myself into knots for him, made excuses, looked the other way, swallowed my fears, just to keep the peace.

And he treated my feelings like a joke.

My phone buzzed. A message from my brother lit up the screen.

[Have you made up your mind? Are you coming back with me or staying there?]

For a long time, I'd held on to the idea of staying. Of Yohann changing. Of something getting better.

But not anymore.

[I'll come home. Pick me up after you finish work.]

His reply came almost instantly.

[Alright. Ten more days and I'm there.]

And for the first time in a long, long while, I felt like I was finally making the right decision.